Electric Terrain
by SE46 Mantis
Summary: Late one night, Skyla and Elesa enjoy a thunderstorm. Airplaneshipping (Skyla x Elesa).


_Author's Notes: A contact requ_ _ested this story be uploaded to this site, with permissioned received from the original writer. Can't exactly argue with extra Airplaneshipping, so here we go._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

A storm rolled in that night, and it was still howling at the world when the clock struck two am. It was a particularly heavy variant, one that brought with it a relentlessly pounding rain that clattered against the roof, a howling gale that rattled the windows slightly and of course, the iconic white flash of a lightning bolt, followed by the titanic rumble of thunder. Indeed, it was definitely a powerful one, and the people of Mistralton, at least who were still awake in the early morning, would certainly be thankful of having a thick roof over their heads.

There was almost a sort of melody to the storm, the continuous patter of the rain and the long cold howling of the wind, providing a consistent natural music that only benefitted from the occasional addition of the roar of thunder. Granted, it was hardly a comforting music in the traditional sense, but it certainly highlighted the impressive power of the natural world.

Older inhabitants of the city, who knew the old legends like the back of their hands, might chuckle slightly as they rolled over in their beds, noting the wild activities of the roaming legends. Younger ones, if the storm had not disturbed their sleep, might stuff their heads under their pillows and desire the storm to just go away and let them be. Regardless, it went on and on, raining, rumbling, crackling and howling.

One particular house, reasonably close to the city's prized airport, currently held someone who was not seeking shelter in their bed, but rather, kneeling by an upstairs window, which was firmly shut with the blinds drawn up, theirs arms folded onto the sill and head resting upon them, gazing out into the dark and the rain with contemplative and admiring blue eyes.

Skyla had always enjoyed watching storms. There was a grand sense of majesty to them, how just a single bolt of lightning could light up the sky in a dazzling burst of white, and how the huge roar of thunder would follow the flash, all but shaking the house itself with the intensity of its noise. The rain and the wind were less impressive, but still, there was a wildness to them she found amusing, watching the drops splatter relentlessly against her window.

Truth be told, she should be asleep right now; while no trainers had reserved a Gym battle, nor was she due a cargo haul for at least another week, it still paid to have plenty of rest in preparation for whatever tomorrow may bring! Or, given the current time, whatever later today may bring.

But she loved watching storms, you know. So she figured it'd be worth it to look at this rare and awesome event a little longer. It had only woken her up a short while ago anyway, so she wasn't up for too long, which was good, right? Right.

Of course, storms weren't always a fun thing to see. Flying through them in her plane, for instance, was honestly unnerving at best and completely terrifying at worst; though her beloved plane had been tested and confirmed lightning-proof, the thought of being struck down as easily as a little Pidove against a Zebstrika sent chills up and down her spine. The darkness of their clouds and the winds and the rain that often accompanied said fear about being struck down wasn't reassuring either.

But here, in her warm safe house, settled down by her transparent shield against nature's display, she found it much easier to appreciate it, to ooh and ah at the crack of thunder like a captivated audience, marvel at the flashes of lightning and be bemused by how much rain it was throwing down. Despite the noise and the sudden cases of brightness, she was used to a good old thunderstorm, and thus wasn't as jumpy about them as she was when she was just a little girl-

"Why are you up?"

Okay, she did jump at that, yelping in shock as she jolted up and ended up misbalancing, sliding onto her side with a small bump when her knees slid out of position. Regaining herself with a touch of humiliation, she noted that the intruding voice was simply Elesa, standing by the doorway, arms folded and one eyebrow raised in a manner so similar to a stern parent that Skyla suddenly feels as though she is in trouble, like the time in her youth when her mother caught her trying to smuggle that chocolate cake to her room.

But Elesa is not her mother, nor any kind of parental figure, and Skyla is certainly not a youngster anymore, so she quickly positions herself back onto her knees, quickly rids herself of whatever remained of her shock and embarrassment, and replies cheerfully: "Watching the storm! Wanna sit with me?"

Elesa considers it, before sighing softly and shuffling over to settle down next to the pilot, who is now absolutely delightfully amused by how bedridden the model looks. So used to seeing her friend standing tall and proud and looking utterly gorgeous and glamorous, it's a positive wonder to see her normally sleek ebony hair scattered and unruly, her tall frame rather sagged with tiredness, her intense eyes blinking repeatedly in an attempt to clear out some sleepiness and looking rather, well, normal in just a yellow shirt and cottony trousers, especially without her distinctive headphones upon her head.

Granted, Skyla herself is not quite up to her typical appearance either; her pilot's attire is replaced with her soft blue pyjamas, and her own distinctive decoration, her little blue propeller hairpiece, is absent, meaning her memorable tuft is unravelled down her right side, a bit lopsided compared to the left. But still, she does not compare to how differently Elesa seems in this situation compared to her usual flair!

If she had known tonight's sleepover would have garnered this adorable image of a tired and rather sulky Elesa, she'd have kept her camera on her when she went upstairs to look at the storm!

She must have noticed her thoughts in her wide grin and slight giggles, as Elesa rather grumpily asks: "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just you! It's kinda funny, and kinda sweet too, to see you all tired and stuff. Normally you're just so... dignified, and all the spotlights are on you and you bear them really well! And now you're here wishing you were back in bed and I think it's really, really cute-"

"That's sweet of you." Elesa deadpanned, though the pilot can easily see the faint twitch of a smile dancing at her lips. Given her rather tired demeanour, the attempts to restrain a goofy grin just makes it even sweeter. Skyla just grins yet wider, gives a short and pleased laugh, before bumping her shoulder against the model's and returning her attention to the storm, which flashes and booms just in time, as if rejoicing the return of observation.

It's fun to watch the craziness outside, but it seems even more fun when someone else is watching it with you; it makes it kind of like a movie, shared between two close friends, and Skyla really likes that concept. Suddenly, the storm is more than just a storm, it's another wonderful moment just for her and Elesa.

They're silent for a moment, watching raindrops trickle down the window as more splat against it, another flash of lightning, before Skyla is struck by a thought and asks: "What were you doing up anyway?"

"Storm." Elesa replied softly, before tilting her head back and yawning slightly, the sight of which almost makes Skyla want to yawn too, before she exhales with a small huff and continues: "I suppose I must have been dreaming, because I remember some colourful stuff, then a boom and I was awake. Saw you weren't in your sleeping bag, so I figured you'd gone upstairs to watch it."

"You have really good deduction skills, Elesa."

"Deductive, Skyla."

"Oh, same difference, same intention."

Elesa does that small smile again, and Skyla is both pleased that she coerced it out again, and a little bit annoyed that her friend saw fit to correct her on such a trivial matter. Honestly, it wasn't as though she completely replaced one word with another or something, right? Right.

The storm rumbles again, and she gives out a small ooh at it, adoring the thrilling noise that sends a tingling through her nerves. Elesa seems to quite like it too, leaning forward ever so slightly as if seeking out the sound itself; given her passion for electrical stuff, it made sense that she'd like watching storms as much as the pilot did.

It's a thought that implicates a good sense of dual fondness, and Skyla bumps their shoulders again, smiling brightly when the model flashes a curious glance at her; it's a very nice thing to enjoy the same things, after all.

"So, why do you like watching storms then?" The model asks, rubbing her hands against her upper arms slightly as if caught by a slight chill. "I thought you weren't too fond of them."

"Well, I'm not that fond of flying through them in my plane, because then you feel that kind of bad feeling that maybe the wind will blow you off-course or lightning might strike you or something like that, and it's a bit uneasy, really. But a house is much nicer to see a storm from than in my plane, so I'm more happy to see it from here than up with it, you know?"

Elesa nods in agreement, noting: "Well, I wouldn't particularly enjoy a storm from inside a flying metal hunk either, really."

Skyla huffed indignantly: "That flying metal hunk is my pride and joy, you know."

"Sorry. The lack of sleep must have impeded my thought processes."

Ooh, even when a bit tired, Elesa's sharp wit remained intact, and she tilts her head and smirks ever so slightly, not enough to be outright smug but certainly amused, and Skyla huffs again, raising a hand and batting at one of the long black extensions in a rather petty manner, the model responding to this mock attack by trying to get her fingers under the pilot's arm to tickle at her sides. Ooh, her knowledge of weak points was intact too!-

A sudden whiteness and another rumble of thunder, and both of them jolted slightly at the interruption of their play-fight, staring out into the night and rather surprised at the fading growls of the weather, the wind rattling the window slightly. They glance back at each other, and immediately laugh, Skyla's more boisterous and Elesa's more lady-like.

When they stop laughing, and Elesa ceases trying to tickle her, Skyla says: "Well, I know some of the elders here say that storms like these are made by the roaming legends that sometimes fly by, but you know what I think? I think the really cool storms like this one is made when Rayquaza gets annoyed at stuff."

The model tilts her head, bemused: "The Hoenn legend? Why do you think that?"

"Well, Rayquaza is said to be the lord of the skies, controller of air and weather, and maybe when it's feeling annoyed at something or other, it makes a storm to vent out a bit! I think if I could control the weather, I might make storms too if I felt frustrated."

Elesa leans in slightly as Skyla says this, and playfully whispers: "Or maybe it makes a storm because it doesn't like you flying your plane in it's turf."

"Oooh, don't say that!" Skyla squeaks, wrapping her arms around herself and glancing around frantically as if the mythical beast was somehow listening in. "I don't want a sky controlling legend angry at me! That's mean, Elesa!"

"I'm just joking, Skyla." Elesa chuckles, idly patting her back comfortingly. "I doubt anything could ever really be mad at you."

"You know, even though it was hardly a good one, I think it's nice when you try to joke now and then." The pilot muses, relieved from her brief worry and fondly rubbing her head against Elesa's shoulder. "You're always so collected, so it's really fun when you stop being serious."

A pause, before the model asked, rather indignant: "What do you mean 'try to joke'?"

"Oh, Elesa. Your idea of jokes is either worrying me about legends hating my plane or silly puns! It's adorable how much you suck at them, you know. In fact, it's super cute! No-one makes sucking at jokes cute like you can."

She giggled and rubbed at her again, and Elesa's typical calm briefly wavered as she sputtered: "Oh, my puns are hardly silly! They convey a sophisticated humour that provides more laughs overall than a simpler joke-"

"You're even cuter getting worked up about them."

A faint blush tinted the model's cheek as she reached for a retort: "You're such a pest, you know that?"

"I know! But you like it anyway!"

Elesa huffed slightly, evidently working to regain her collected demeanour and repair whatever damages were done to her pride as Skyla laughed and fondly hugged her, the model suddenly trying to hide the random urge to smile. Gah, how did Skyla always get through her stoic demeanour so easily?!

"You know-" The pilot quips, changing the topic as she stares out through the window. "-I've always thought that thunderstorms remind me of you a lot."

"How so? The fact it's quiet one minute and then lightning strikes you the next?"

Skyla laughs at that, giggling: "Ooh, maybe I'll have to take back that whole suck at jokes thing! But no, what they remind me of is the fact they're always so glamorous and intimidating to look at, with all the light and the booming and stuff, but when you think about it, it's actually a really nice thing; something almost magical to watch and enjoy and stuff!"

Elesa paused, rather bemused by this bout of metaphor, before she replies: "That's flattering, Skyla. And quite deep too."

"I know! Sometimes I scare myself how deep I can go."

She maintains an oddly serious face as she says it, before it cracks and she bursts out laughing, clutching Elesa tightly to steady her shaking body and Elesa can't help but chuckle at the pilot's shenanigans, all while the storm continued to rumble and howl outside.

But at last, a few moments later, it appears the storm is finally passing on. The flashes become less common, the rain seems to dwindle and the wind calms slightly. Seeing this, Skyla isn't sure whether she's satisfied or displeased at its end, and glances over at the clock, surprised to note that barely forty minutes had passed since she's first come up to see it. Huh, she had imagined they'd been there for longer; time sure can be funny.

"Well, that was enjoyable." Elesa says, getting up and stretching her lithe form, giving off another yawn, quite eager to return to the comfort of sleep. "I suppose you're willing to go back to bed now?"

"Oh yes!" Skyla replies enthusiastically, jumping up to her feet, eternally energetic even this early in the morning. "That was a great storm, don't you think? Really fun to watch, all the lightning and the crazy rain and stuff!"

"Magnificent. But let's discuss it tomorrow. I think sleeping is our first priority right now."

That said, she leads the way downstairs, along the corridor and into the living room, striding over to the couch in graceful steps as befitting of a supermodel of her standard. She flicks up the blanket upon it with but a wave of her arm and settles herself upon the couch, bringing the blanket over her and sighing contently at the sudden influx of warmth that seems to all but wish her sleep, and-

The blanket is shifted off her suddenly, and Elesa is surprised when Skyla is promptly jumping in next to her, totally ignoring the bedding of covers on the floor nearby, pressing the model between herself and the back of the couch as she snuggles in comfortably beside her. Shocked with this sudden new arrangement, a sudden faint blush rising up on her cheeks, Elesa shifts slightly to face the pilot, finding herself looking into her cheerful bright blue eyes, and asks, confused and yet trying to maintain a stoic tone;

"Skyla, what are you doing in here?"

"Sleeping with you of course. The floor was boring anyway, so I thought I'd come up here! We shared the storm, and now we can share the couch too!"

She says it as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, either ignorant of or amused by Elesa's rather perturbed expression. She smiles brightly at her, before curling into the model, wrapping her arms around her and nestling her head just under her chin, her crimson hair tickling the model slightly as she gives a soft sigh of contentment. Just like that, Elesa found herself sharing her sleeping space with the other girl.

Well, there's no dissuading her after all; once Skyla commits to something, nothing short of a hurricane would change her path. So, Elesa sighs softly, deciding against protest, and returns the embrace, being sure to arrange the blanket comfortably over them first, and settles her head into the pillow propped against the arm of the couch. Might as well get comfy, right? Right.

Besides, it's hardly the worst thing in the world, to have the exuberant and bubbly and endearing pilot cuddling up to her, and she feels a sense of very real closeness, perhaps even intimacy, in their position, more so than merely watching the storm together, and Elesa finds herself wondering if maybe there's something deeper here...

Regardless of what it might be, given she's a bit too tired to think more into it, it's very nice on this couch. Very nice holding her close. And all she had to do was share a storm with her. Elesa doesn't bother to hide the smile spreading across her face now, and Skyla probably would have adored to see it. She always adores seeing her smile widely.

There is the faintest rumble of thunder, a final goodbye from the passed storm, and Elesa slowly falls asleep, aware only of the warm embrace and gentle breathing and gentle tickle of the other girl, and just before she finally drifts off, there is a soft whisper that she barely hears;

"Love you."


End file.
